Pressure cooker



SePt- 17. 1946 J. H. CHANDLER 2,407,627

` PRESSURE COOKER Filed Aug; 12, 194:5 zsheets-sheet 1 f3.9 27 Il lll"/9 2@ -fea /7 l 2 9 J/ 20 3 g /2 y ,5 /3 l ,a Y*

H' )lK y /6 ;l` r A R1 22 2/ mllllllili Sept. 17, 1946.A J. H.`cHANDLER2,407,627

PRESSURE cooKER Filed Aug. 12, 1945 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 17,1946 PRESSURE COOKER James Harvey Chandler, Oak Park, Ill., assignor toEkco Products Company, a corporation of Illit nois Application August12, 1943, Serial No. 498,347

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to pressure cookersof the type wherein an annularportion of the closure or cover extending beyond the area' thereofcorresponding to the area of the closure receiving opening is adapted tobe confined within the container through upward pressure of said annularportion of the cover against an `internal annular seat around theopening.

It is an object of this invention to provide a Yclosure for use 'inconjunction with `an internal seating arrangement of this characterembodying features of construction whereby the introduction and removalof the closure are facilitated. `This inventionaccordingl'y contemplatesthe Vuse of a closure adapted to be temporarily flexed linto a shapewherein its dimension is sufficiently reduced to be passed throughthecooker opening toward and away from a position below the annular seatwithin the cooker receptacle through the action of flexing mechanismdirectly associatedV with the closure.

These and various other objects and advantages are attained'with thisinvention, as Will be lapparent from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is shownin its preferred form, it being evident that other forms of constructionand modifications may be adopted in `carrying out the objects andpurposes of this invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view with parts of thecooker receptacle in central vertical section,

illustrating the arrangement of parts when the rof the cooker receptaclein central vertical section, wherein the closure is shown in exed shapeand prepared for insertion through the closure receiving opening of thereceptacle.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken online 5-5 of Fig. 4, withpart of the receptacle included to indicate relative width of theclosure and the closure receiving opening when the Aclosure is exed asshown.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I0designates a pressure vessel of a type with which a preferred embodi- 2Vment of a closure I5 `of this invention may be effectively used. Asillustrated, the vessel is of cylindrical shape having its side wallterminating at its upper limits in an inwardly and downwardly curlededge I l to dene a mouth or' opening at thel top of the vessel throughwhich the contents of the vessel may be introduced or withdrawn. Thecurled edge II is adapted to receive a suitable gasket or packing memberI2 in such a manner that the member I2 thus provides an annulardownwardly facing seat within the vessel.

The closure i5 is circular in plan so as to provide an annular portionadapted to underlie the seat formed `by the-member I2 surrounding theclosure portion corresponding to the area of the mouth of the vessel I0.The closure is made of relatively thin sheet metal or other suitablematerial which contains suiiicient resiliency to permitof a certainamount of distortion (under the `action of flexing means associated withthe closure and more fully hereinafter described) whereby it may betemporarily sprung into a shape inserta-ble through the-mouth of thevessel as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, during movement toward and away from aposition wherein the `annular portion of the closure underlies theseating member I2.

` Means for temporarily flexing the closure I5 are preferably providedthrough the use `of a, yoke or bar I3 adapted to extend across theVclosure I5, in the manner sho-wn in Fig. 3, which yoke has a centralaperture or bearing through which an axially projecting cylindrical stemor post I4, fastened as at I6 to the center of the closure l5, mayproject. The collar II fixed to the stem I 4 provides a stop againstwhich the `yoke I3 may bear to prevent withdrawal of the stem I4 fromthe yoke. Movement of the ste-m I6 relative to the yoke I3 from aposition wherein the collar I'. is engaged by the yoke I3` as shownin'Fig. 5 to aV positionwherein the collar `II is` spaced upwardlytherefrom accordingly causes the ends of the yoke to press againstdiametrically'opposite surface portions of the closure I5 inwardly fromthe annular portion of the closure normally adapted to engage theseating member I2 whereby the closure is warped or iiexed on an axisperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the yoke I3. It will beobserved that sliding movement between the opposite ends of the yoke I3and the surface of the closure contiguous thereto incident to flexing ofvthe cover is facilitated by giving a rounded or bulged shape Vto saidyoke ends. -The yoke I3 is also provided 3 with a lateral extension orsupport I8 into which the shank I9 of a handle ZIJ may be fastened. Thehandle 20 is preferably of such length as to overhang the handle 2lsecured to the side wall of a vessel I through a ferrule 22, when theclosure I is in operative position as shown in the drawings.

Pivoted at 23 between the upper ends of a pair of spaced parallel arms24 rprojecting upwardly from the outer end of the bracket or support I8for swinging movement in a vertical path in alignment with thelongitudinal axis of the closure handle 20, is a lever 25.

The inwardly projecting end of the lever 25 is forked as at 26 for thepurpose of embracing aA lportion of the stem I4 between the collar I"Iand a similar collar or projection 21 fixed to stem I4 and spacedupwardly from said collar II. Y The closure I5 is accordingly forcedinto a diametrically warped shape against the opposite ends of the yokeI3 through pulling force exerted on the stem I4 upon upward swingingmovement of the forked end of the lever 25. A thumb-piece 28 carried atthe free outer end of the lever 25 provides a bearing which the user maypress with the thumb of the hand which grasps the closure handle 25whereby the lever 25 is easily operated to cause flexing of the closure.Upon release of V(pressure on the thumb-piece 28,'the resiliency of theclosure will immediately cause it to` spread or relax into normal shapeeffective to position the annular edge portion thereof in a planeeffective to engage the seating member I2. Because stem Ill provides abearing or` pivot on which the yoke I3 may turn, the axis on which theclosure I5 is warped as described herein, may be varied as the relativeangular position of the yoke I3 is changed with respect tov a selecteddiametrical line across the closure. This arrangement rnakes it possibleto avoid a permanent set or Warped shape in the closure member i5 whenit is no longer sub-jected toexternal iiexing stresses by the yoke I3,.which might otherwise develop where bending or flexing is confined tothe same axis each time the closure is applied to or removed from theseat I2.

After the closure I5 is confined within the vessel and released frompressure of the flexing mechanismes above described, the closure I5 isadapted to be lifted into a position against the' seating member I 2 byrocking the closure handle toward the vessel handle 2l, A suitablefulcrufm for this purpose consists of a downwardly projecting leg 29provided at the inner end of the handle 2i] which leg is adapted topivot in a recess or seat 3i) on the ferrule 22 of the vessel handle 2I. The closure is preferably held in place against the seating member I2by any suitable means such, for example, as a latch 3| mounted forswinging movement on the handle 20 toward and away from a position inengagement with the vessel handle |2I as shown in Figs. l and 4. As theclosure I5 is moved upwardly toward the seating member I2 throughrocking movement of the closure handle on its rpivot as aforesaid,

a pair of ridges 32 and 33 at transversely opposite internal sides ofthe vessel I0 and arranged vertically below the seat I2 are adapted tobe engaged by the edges of the closure I5 whereby the closure may beeasily guided into a central position with reference to the mouth of thevessel.

As pressure is built up within the vessel I0 it is apparent that theclosure I5 will be more tightly pressed against the seat member I2 so asto provide a more effective leak-proof seal between the seat member I2and the surface of the closure I5. In order to provide a vent throughwhich steam pressure may be released as desired, the stem I ispreferably hollow throughout its length thereby fonming a passage incommunication with the interior of vessel Ill. Under this arrangementthe upper end of the stem I4 provides a seat for a suitable valve suchas a weight 34 as shown in Fig, 5. A safety steam vent in the form of arubber plug 35 may also be fitted on the closure I5. The particular typeof fittings described and shown herein are, however, merely indicativeof any suitable form of fitting adapted for use in connection with apressure cooker as contemplated 'by this invention.

A thin flexible closure member, such for example as a circular disc ofsheet metal stock of .018 inch to .020 inch thickness, of suitablespring temper, with only the use of a relatively fiat smooth peripheralface portion in Contact with the underside of a rigid circular annulussurrounding the opening in the top ofA a container, such for example asa two-quart capacity drawn cylindrie vessel of sheet metal stock of .040inch thickness, corresponding substantially to the shape of vessel I5 asshown in the drawings, including an inwardly curled edge II, isillustrative of one preferred embodiment of a pressure container ascontemplated by the present invention. However, it will be apparent thatvarious changes might be made lin the structure and design of theelements involved in said example to form a pressure container of thegeneral character described, all without departing from the spirit ofthis invention as defined in the annexed claims. f

What is claimed is:

l. In a pressure cooker, a vessel having an opening through whichcontents of the Vessel may be admitted or discharged, a downwardlyfacing seat within the vessel `surrounding said opening, meansengageable with said seat to seal said opening including a flexibleclosure member having an annular portion extending peripherally beyondthe area thereof corresponding to the area of said opening and adaptedto betemporarily flexed into a shape enabling its passage Vthrough saidopening toward and awayfrom a position wherein said closure engagesVsaid seat, a rigid yoke member having contact faces presentable towardupper surfacel portions ofthe closure in downwardly advanced positionrelative tothe central portion of the yoke against whichvdiametricallyopposite upper surface portions of the closure located inwardly from itsannular portion may be drawn upwardly to ex the closure into a shapeenabling its passage through said vessel opening when the centralportions of said yoke and closure are in vertical alignment, means formaintaining said central portion Yof the yoke and said central portionof the closure in vertical alignment including a stem fixed toandproject# Y ing upwardly from the central portion of the closure, saidyoke and stem being connected for relative movement axially of said stembetween an advanced position wherein said closure is placed under strainby said contact faces of the yoke to flex the closure into a shapeenabling its passage through the vessel opening and an initial positionwherein said closure is freed from strain to resume its normal uniiexedshape, a handle having a forward portion fixed to said yoke and arearward portion which projects laterally beyond the edge of the closureand about which a hand may be flexed into operative position to supportthe closure, a lever movable about an axis in fixed relation to saidyoke and operatively engaging said stem for moving said stem frominitial position to advanced position relative to said yoke, said leverhaving a free end operable in such proximity to the handle throughout',the travel of the lever between initial and advanced positions of thestem relative to said yoke as to be within range of normal movement ofthe thumb of the hand operatively flexed about said handle whereby thelever may be operated to move said stem from initial position toadvanced position relative to said yoke through the agency of pressureapplied on said free end of` the lever by said thumb.

2. In a pressure cooker as dened in claim 1, means providing a steamvent in communication with the interior of said vessel when said closureis in engagement with said seat including a passage extending lengthwisethrough said stem.

3. In a pressure cooker as defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke andstern are connected for relative pivotal movement about said stem as anaxis.

JAMES HARVEY CHANDLER.

